As a senior at Corona del Mar High School in Newport Beach (Calif.), Shaun Mohler was an undersized linebacker with little Division I interest and an insufficient academic profile. A year later, he was a third-team All-American JUCO player at Orange Coast Community College. With plenty of recruiting attention already coming his way, Mohler decided to end the recruiting process and select the University of California.

"It was a pretty easy decision for me," Mohler said. "Cal invited me up to their junior day - which was a little weird because they were high school guys there - but I loved it. The campus, the coaches, it was really great. I was very impressed."